Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
by Titan5
Summary: John is kidnapped and sacrificed to a monster who lives in the cave system of a planet a few days before Christmas. He's beginning to wonder if there is a target painted on his back. John/Elizabeth


Title: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Author: titan5

Recipent: theladymore

Rating: PG

Word Count: ~15,000

Genre/Characters/Pairings: Het; John/Elizabeth

Warnings (if applicable): references and evidence of people getting eaten

Summary: John is kidnapped and sacrificed to a monster who lives in the cave system of a planet a few days before Christmas. He's beginning to wonder if there is a target painted on his back.

Author's Notes: Written for Sheppard H/C Winter Fic Exchange 2014. Prompt used at the end of the story. Thank you to black_raven135 for the awesome beta!

**Guess Who's Coming to Dinner**

John rested his arms across the top of his P90 as he watched the rest of his people come through the gate. When the gate shut down, he slid his aviators on and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Okay, kids, it is 0200 Atlantis time. Enjoy your day Christmas shopping on Market World, but be back here by 0700. Keep your eyes open and don't let the venders cheat you. And don't eat the meat surprise chili thing from Karka's booth unless you brought a bottle of Tums with you."

Lt. Davidson's eyebrows went up as Ronon snickered. John flashed the big man a warning scowl as the lieutenant asked, "Are you speaking from experience, sir?"

"Is he ever," muttered Rodney.

"Let's just say you won't catch me anywhere near that booth," John answered. "Have fun but don't let your guard down. We've never had trouble here but people from worlds all over the Pegasus galaxy come and go and anyone paying attention has noticed we've been showing up a lot lately. Just . . . watch your back."

Davidson's team nodded, their expressions telling John they were taking him seriously. "See you at 0700. We'll be just in time to catch breakfast in the mess hall."

"Happy hunting, colonel," said Sgt. Ann Ross, giving her CO a mock salute and a grin as she headed down the trail with her team.

"I just wish we didn't have to do this in the middle of the night," whined Rodney.

John kneaded the back of his neck, trying to loosen the tense muscles. "I couldn't agree more, Rodney, but the market opens one hour after daybreak on this planet, which just happens to be around 0200 Atlantis time. No one made you come Christmas shopping."

Market World, as John had dubbed it, was like a mixture of the Saturday flea market and a craft fair, with booths selling everything from clothes and jewelry to furniture and tools. Some of them looked like yard sales getting rid of unwanted used stuff, but most of the vendors were selling things they had made or harvested from their world. It was the best selection of goods in the galaxy and with Christmas less than a week away, it was everyone's favorite destination right now. John and Elizabeth had put together a rotation of teams and other personnel who wanted to do some local shopping for the holidays. Today it was John and Lt. Davidson's teams.

"Yes, well, it isn't like I can just run down to the mall Christmas Eve, now is it?" Rodney said.

"I'm guessing that's what you usually do when you're on Earth? Lame, Rodney. Really lame."

Rodney huffed. "It is not lame. It's not my fault I'm always busy doing research that's actually important when some stupid holiday interferes." The scientist was quiet for a moment before adding, "Besides, it's not like I ever have many people to buy for anyway."

Teyla, who had thoroughly embraced the whole Christmas idea from year one, reached out to grasp the physicist's arm. "It is not how many friends you have, but the quality of the friendships that is important. You have many who care for you in Atlantis, but you have a special place in the hearts of your team. We are as family are we not?"

"Maybe even better," said John under his breath, ignoring the knowing look Ronon shot him.

Rodney's shoulders seemed to relax a bit and his expression lightened. "We really are kind of like a family, aren't we? You know, buying presents for you guys and a couple of others is really the first time since I was a kid that I've tried to put some thought into getting the right gift. I guess it's the first time I've really cared if people liked the gift I got them."

"You have always managed to find something I thought was special," said Teyla with a grin.

"Really?" asked Rodney, his eyebrows rising.

"Really," she affirmed.

"Looks like we're here," John announced as they emerged from the rocky path into the open market.

The world was pretty dry, which was probably why the market had been placed here. The ground was hard packed dirt with rows of booths set up facing three branching pathways. The booths were made of poles and curtains, almost like a carnival or one of the craft fairs John's mom had favored when he was a child. He found himself smiling at the memory until he noticed Rodney frowning at him. Sobering, he straightened and faced his team.

"Remember to keep your eyes open. This place is pretty popular and we know those stupid Genii wanted posters keep turning up to make our lives miserable. It might be better if we pair off for safety."

"We aren't children, colonel," complained Rodney with a loud sigh. "Personally I don't need a babysitter standing over me while I shop."

"What he said," added Ronon with a nod toward Rodney.

Teyla rolled her eyes. "I suspect for both of you that the need to go alone has more to do with your eating habits than a need for solitude."

John snorted, turning his face away for a couple of seconds to regain his composure. "Fine, just . . . keep an eye out for bad guys between bites." The food smells were beginning to drift their way and he watched in amusement as Ronon and Rodney's eyes widened.

"Done. See you later," the scientist said as he turned and hurried toward the first row of booths with Ronon right behind him.

John rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at Teyla. "Think we'll have to roll them back to the gate?"

Having heard the sentiment before, Teyla nodded. "I fear it will be so."

They started walking toward the third row, preferring to shop first and end up at what John referred to as the food court toward the end. "Are you looking for something special or just shopping in general?" he asked.

"I have a few things I know I want to get Torren and there are some other things I have in mind to look at for friends," Teyla said. "What about you? Are you getting something special for Elizabeth?"

The question caught John off guard, or rather Teyla's teasing tone did. He looked over at her to find a smug and almost knowing smile on her face. Did she know? How could she?

John and Elizabeth had become close friends very quickly, the shared leadership of Atlantis leading to many hours together. After a rocky start, they had quickly meshed, leaning on the strengths of the other to get them through the tough times and making some of the hard decisions. They had carefully kept each other at arm's length, at least until recently. A chaotic _negotiations gone wrong _mission that involved Elizabeth had left each of them thinking the other had been killed for several hours. That had been the catalyst to push them together, each admitting they wanted to be more than friends.

The relationship was still new and they had been very careful so far. They wanted to take things slowly until they knew if their bond was strong enough to risk being ousted from Atlantis before they made any public displays of affection. So how did Teyla seem to know what was going on?

"What . . . uh, what makes you ask that?" John asked, trying for nonchalance. He was pretty sure he'd failed.

Teyla just continued to smile at him. "I simply thought you and Elizabeth were drawing closer recently. You have spent more time together than usual these past few weeks . . . since the mission to M3Q 537. I know that your friendship is deep and that you feared you had lost her."

Friendship. Either she didn't know as much as he'd feared or she was letting him off the hook. "You're right. Elizabeth is a good friend. I'd hate to think of Atlantis without her. It just . . . it wouldn't seem right."

"No, it would not. And it would not seem right without you either. I believe the two of you are the heart and soul of Atlantis."

They stopped walking and he turned to Teyla, studying her expression to see if she was making fun of him. He knew immediately that she was not. Her sober expression and the sincerity in her eyes told him that she was being honest in her assessment. "Wow," he said, amazed at the statement. "That's . . . really nice."

Teyla smiled and grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. "It is simply what I feel to be so. Tell me, do you need assistance or have you already decided what to get?"

"I have something in mind, but I wouldn't mind you lending your opinion if you have time. You know her pretty well and I think you would have a good idea of what she likes."

"I would be honored to help," she said with a big grin.

"Good," John said, returning her smile as a bit of his worry dissolved. They began walking again, with him leading them toward the other end of the row where he was pretty sure the booth he was interested in lay. "There was a vendor the last time we were here that sold jewelry made from these crystals on his world."

"Yes, I remember," Teyla said. "They were very striking. I believe Elizabeth would love almost anything they sold."

John couldn't help the swell of pleasure her validation of his gift choice brought. Teyla and Elizabeth had become very close friends over the years and he felt sure the Athosian would have the best idea of what Elizabeth would and wouldn't like. "Good. I was hoping you would think so. I think I'd like to get a set of a necklace and earrings, maybe in that emerald green stone they had the last time."

"I think that would be lovely," Teyla said. They walked for a few more minutes before reaching the end of the row where one would circle around and start down the next aisle. Sure enough, just as they had remembered, the booth he was looking for sat at the end.

They browsed through the jewelry for almost fifteen minutes with the booth owner trying to talk them into buying all sorts of things. They finally agreed on a set that featured a multicolored crystal that shimmered in the sunlight. It came with a bracelet and earrings. John wasn't sure if Elizabeth would ever wear the bracelet, but it came with the set. Teyla helped him make a good trade for it before she set off to find some toys for Torren.

Pleased with his progress, John next headed for a booth that made knives Ronon was fond of. He had already purchased one knife for the big guy, but Ronon always said you couldn't have too many knives. As he turned away from the jewelry booth, he noticed a table across the aisle that had a partially covered object toward the back curtain that looked suspiciously like a ZPM.

"No way," John whispered to himself as wandered over to the booth. He began shifting the things on the table in an attempt to look like he was interested in them, all the while trying to see the possible ZPM in the back. A tingle at his fingertips brought his eyes down just in time to see a rectangular box similar to an LSD light up. He jerked his hand away and glanced up at the vendor.

The man looked to be in his early twenties with short, dark hair and dark brown eyes that were looking right at him. John mentally kicked himself for not being more alert and turned away to leave.

"Wait, sir," called the vendor. John hesitated a moment and then turned around. The guy hadn't started shooting or yelling for help yet so he might as well see what he wanted. As John stepped back to the table, the man leaned in close and whispered. "You have the blood of the old ones."

John frowned and tried to look confused. "Old ones?"

The man's eyes darted back and forth for a moment before he whispered, "Some call them the Ancestors. You have their blood, but you know this already."

John didn't comment either way and carefully kept his expression neutral. "What if I do?"

The man chuckled a little under his breath. "Perhaps you are interested in some of the workings of the Ancestors?"

"Perhaps," John replied evenly, his eyes lingering on the covered object in the back.

Following his gaze, the man gave a short nod. "I believe I have some things in the back that you might find interesting. Come, I will show you." Before John could answer, the vendor had rushed to the back of his booth and pulled the curtain aside, motioning for John to go through the small opening.

John's paranoid inner voice was telling him to get back-up before going into small back rooms with Pegasus natives he didn't know, but his optimistic side was picturing the look on Rodney's face if he opened a ZPM for Christmas. A grin broke out as he imagined the looks on everyone's face. "It's like they say I guess, go big or go home," he muttered under his breath as he headed for the waiting man.

The back section was small and cramped, filled with stacked boxes of merchandise. His native friend scampered to the back section and pulled the lid off a crate just about the size of ZPM and John felt his heart start pumping. _Please be a ZPM _he thought as he walked over to peer into the crate. The crate was full of blankets similar to the ones being sold out front.

"Wait a second, buddy," John said as he turned around, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. "What are you . . . " He trailed off at the sight of his friend standing beside an older man with graying hair and fairly full graying beard. His attention was immediately drawn to the weapon in the older man's hand that looked suspiciously like a Wraith stunner. John sighed. "Wraith worshippers, just my luck."

The young guy's mouth dropped open in an expression of horror, but the old man just looked smug. "Hardly," he said as he pulled the trigger. John never felt himself hit the floor.

oOo

Rodney paced around in a circle, muttering to himself while Teyla tried the radio again and Ronon growled. Teyla finally gave up and turned to the others in exasperation. "I still cannot reach him."

Rodney stopped pacing to cross his arms over his chest. "Isn't this just like the good colonel. Make a big speech about being on time and he's twenty minutes late. I'd like to get an hour or two of sleep before reporting to do a full day's work in the lab. Some of us have real jobs you know."

Lt. Davidson stepped up to Rodney. "Colonel Sheppard would never be this late or refuse to answer our hails unless something was wrong." Turning to Ronon, he said, "We need to look for him."

"I agree," said Ronon. "Sheppard wouldn't do this. Something's wrong."

"Perhaps we should let Atlantis know and call for more people to help search," said Teyla. "The market will close soon and many will leave for their home worlds."

"I'll do it," said Davidson, throwing a glare Rodney's way before moving to the DHD.

Rodney's shoulders slumped as he let his arms drop. "You really think something happened to him?"

"I am afraid I do," said Teyla. "I saw him last at the jewelry booth in the back west corner of the market shortly after we arrived. Has anyone seen him since?"

Everyone shook their heads as they looked around the group. "Then that is where we should start," she said.

"I'll go back there with Teyla so we can ask the people around the booth if they saw where he went," said Ronon. "When reinforcements get here, you guys can start at this end and work your way back toward us. Make sure someone stays at the gate."

"He's apparently been missing for hours," said Rodney, his voice moving up in pitch. "You do know there's a good chance he's already been taken off world, right. This is like closing the barn door after all the animals have escaped."

"Right now it's all we can do," said Sgt. Ross. "If we figure out he's been taken off world, we deal with it then."

Ronon nodded and glanced back at Rodney, who threw up his hands and shook his head. "Fine, fine. Go check and we'll wait for the cavalry here."

Ronon and Teyla did not talk, but hurried through the crowds to the jewelry booth where John had made his purchase earlier in the day. The vendor remembered her and thought she had brought more business for him.

"You need to purchase more of the pretty jewelry, yes?"

"No," said Teyla with a smile. "I have come for a different reason. Do you remember the man I was with earlier today, who bought the necklace set?"

"Yes," he answered hesitantly.

"We have not seen him in a while and he is late to meet up with us. I wondered if you saw where he went after he made his purchase?" Teyla put all her effort into looking relaxed and nonthreatening. It had the desired result of the vendor relaxing as well.

"He has probably gotten caught up with Meeschka's flirting or eating Flavin's tarts," he said with a grin. Putting his hand to his chin, he squinted in the late afternoon sun as he surveyed his surroundings. "Let me remember . . . ah! I did notice him across the way a few moments later," he said, pointing to an empty booth almost directly across from his.

Teyla's heart dropped. "There is no one there now. Did you happen to notice when they left or if my friend was with them?"

The man frowned and shook his head. "I know it was shortly after you left because I thought it odd that they left so early and on a day with such a good crowd. But they are always somewhat strange, closing up early some days and staying very late others. You never know when they will show up and when they will not. I do not remember seeing your friend with them when they left however."

Teyla watched the man frown even further. "There is something else?"

The man chuckled and shook his head again. "Probably nothing. I just remember thinking it was odd how they packed up their goods and left from the back of the booth. It is much harder to leave from the back than from the front."

Her stomach rolling in fear, Teyla thanked the man for his help and then followed Ronon, who had already headed for the booth. She followed him to the storage area in the back to find boxed stacked everywhere and the back curtain partially hiked up. He leaned down and stared at the dirt under the hanging cloth. "Someone was dragged through here."

"Do you think it was John?" She kept hoping for some other answer to become apparent or for Rodney to radio that he had shown up at the gate.

"What did you say he bought at that other booth?"

She stepped over closer to see what Ronon was picking up. "A jewelry set for Elizabeth with crystal stones that . . . " She froze when Ronon held out the necklace John has purchased earlier. Looking around she now saw one of the earrings partially under a box. "Oh, Ronon."

"We need to find out who had this booth," Ronon said, clenching his fist around the necklace.

Ten minutes later Lorne reported from a jumper that there was no sign of John's transmitter signal, confirming what they had all feared. John Sheppard was no longer on the planet.

oOo

John woke to pins and needles and a wall-banger of a headache. When he thought his day couldn't get any worse, he realized his hands were tied behind his back as he lay on a cold floor in a windowless room. Great, taken prisoner again. Did he have a stupid target painted on his back? Then he remembered the Wraith stunner. _Wow, this just keeps getting better._

His tac vest was gone, along with all his weapons. No surprise there. He wiggled around until he managed to sit up and then scooted over to sit against the wall. The dizziness dissipated after a few minutes. He was a little disturbed by how long the pins and needles were lasting.

By the time his captors came for him, the tingling was better, but his mouth was dry and his hands were numb. It was the same two men from the booth and Old Guy still had his stunner. "What do you want?" John asked.

"Get to your feet," ordered the older man.

"I'm not sure I can do that," replied John, his voice relaying the anger he felt. "Someone stunned me earlier and I'm having a little trouble feeling my legs."

Old guy sighed. "Lierka," he said, bobbing his head toward John.

Okay, now John had a name to work with. He allowed Lierka to pull him to his feet. The tingling in his legs intensified for a few moments from the renewed circulation, causing him to stagger sideways. Lierka steadied him, apologizing under his breath. He was getting the distinct impression that his young friend wasn't quite as anxious to kidnap people as Old Guy was.

John looked at the old man as his balance stabilized. "What's the matter, can't the Wraith come to fetch their own dinner? You got a drive in window or something?"

The old man looked confused for a second before hardening his expression. "I told you, we are not Wraith worshippers," he spat out, looking offended at the accusation.

"So-o-o what, you just kidnap people?"

"We're really sorry, mister, but we have to –"

"Lierka! That is enough," snapped Old Guy, cutting Lierka off. "We do what we must and that is all you need to know," said the old man. He waved at the door as he backed away from it. "Walk, now."

John straightened his back and pulled his shoulders up. "And what if I don't? I like to know where I'm going when kidnappers try to march me at gunpoint."

The old man took in a deep breath and breathed it out noisily. He was obviously getting frustrated with John. "Then I will stun you and Lierka will drag you across the ground."

Yeah, well, it figured. John didn't bother responding as he walked out the door. It was late afternoon, the sun low in the sky. Lierka led him down a narrow dirt road. Not a soul was visible outside, but curtains in the windows of the houses moved as people peeked out at the small parade. So the whole town was in on whatever this was. The town was apparently small, as they quickly left the houses behind and continued down a path through the woods.

"I think it's only fair that you tell me where we're going," said John. "You're the one with the gun so what could it hurt?"

"He is right," said Lierka. "He should know why he was taken."

Old Guy sighed loudly from behind them. "Fine, tell him. But do not stop walking. We must reach the caves before night falls."

Lierka nodded and licked his lips nervously. "We do this because we must. You need to understand, we are not bad people. We do this to protect our families and our village."

"Do what?" asked John, his stomach churning with the rising anxiety. He had a really bad feeling about this.

"Almost fifteen cycles of the moon ago a creature began attacking our village, dragging people off and killing them and . . . we think eating them. Darien discovered if we gave the creature an . . . an offering once each cycle, that he does not attack the village. We think he lives off the creatures in the forest and the caves as long as he has a human once . . . well, you see why we must do this."

John had thought he had an inkling how much trouble he was in, but apparently not. He was angry and just a little sick to his stomach imagining being eaten by some monster. Why did his life usually resemble a horror movie? "So basically you're offering me up as a human sacrifice? What the heck? Did it never occur to you to ask for help getting rid of this thing rather than sending people to their death every month? Seriously, what is wrong with you people?"

"We are not offering a human sacrifice," stated Darien.

"Actually, you are," growled John, his anger rising. "And as the human sacrifice, I should know. You are giving me to some monster to kill so he won't kill someone from your village. I'm pretty sure that qualifies." John stopped and whirled around to face the old man. "You're no better than the Wraith worshippers."

Darien brought the stunner up so fast that John didn't have time to dodge it and he took the hit full across the face. It spun him around and he lost his balance, going down hard on his right side.

"You will not say that," Darien screamed. "You will not compare us to those abominations."

John pushed up to lean against his elbow. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face and the burn of the cut the gun had opened. Lierka stood with his mouth open while Darien puffed so hard he was probably hyperventilating, his face reddening with anger.

John narrowed his eyes. "Truth hurt too much? Wraith worshippers collect people they don't know to feed the Wraith so they can live. You collect people you don't know to feed some monster so you can live. You tell me what the difference is?" After several seconds of silence, John huffed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. If you're sending me to my death, the least you can do is be honest about what you're doing. If you can't face it then maybe that's a sign you need to find another way."

Darien stared at him for several seconds before bringing his stunner up to point at John. "Lierka, get him on his feet. It is almost dark."

"Right," John said with a humorless chuckle. "Gotta get out before the boogeyman comes out so he only eats me and not you. What brave heroes you are." He managed to get his feet under him and stood up by himself. Looking at Darien, he spit on the ground at the man's feet and then turned around and started walking.

"My people could help you get rid of this thing. We've done things like that for other people. All you had to do was ask. We have some serious weapons at our disposal." When they didn't answer John's suggestion that they let him help them, he changed tactics. "And if you do this, when they figure out where I am and come here, they're going to be very angry. My second in command gets a little unpredictable when people try to kill his CO. I can't even imagine how dangerous he'll be when he finds the people who actually did kill his CO."

Lierka's brow furrowed. "Your people, they would take revenge for your death?"

John kept his face serious as he looked at the scared young man beside him. "Oh, yes. There probably won't be much left of your village when Lorne gets done with you. And I haven't even mentioned Ronon yet. He was a runner for several years so he doesn't have much in the way of patience for those who kill innocent people." Although Ronon would probably find John's tactic hilarious, Lorne might not appreciate being painted as a revenge driven madman. If it would only work.

Lierka glanced back at Darien, making John wish he could see the guy's expression. The man's response did a good job of answering that question.

"He is bluffing. No one saw us take him and even if they did, they do not know where we are from." Lierka's wince at that statement was like a tiny beacon of light. "His people will not come. They will never know what happened to him. Of that, I give you my word. Now stop all this talking and walk."

John walked silently after that, figuing he'd lull them into a false sense of security and then take Darien down. He hunched his shoulders and tried to look defeated and harmless. All he had to do was wait for the right moment to get the stunner and run. No way the old man could outrun him and Lierka didn't seem to have his heart in the whole human sacrifice thing. Piece of cake. Hopefully.

After a while, Lierka dropped behind him. "He is right, Darien. What we are doing, it is no better than those who worship the Wraith."

"You must not listen to him. He would say anything to spare his life. He does not understand that we must protect our families."

"Did it ever occur to you that I have my own family to protect, that I might have people who need me to help them survive?" asked John. He had limited time to make them rethink feeding him to some creature.

"Darien?" said Lierka, his voice almost pleading.

"Stranger, you will stop talking or I will stuff your mouth with cloth so that you cannot utter a sound," threatened Darien. "Your fate is sealed and you will be given to the creature. Know that your death will save many lives."

"Fine, I get it. Just tell me one more thing. What's the deal with testing for the Ancient gene?" At their confused looks, he added, "the blood of the Ancestors?"

They were silent for a moment before Darien answered. "We discovered once, by accident, that if the . . . person we offer the monster has the blood of the Ancestors, the creature seems to stay calm longer. No more questions. Just walk and be silent."

John stopped talking but he had no intention of being fed to some monster. He was trying to decide if he wanted to bring back reinforcements to get rid of their creature once he'd escaped or just let them wallow in their mess. Crap, he'd have to help them to keep them from killing any more people. How many had they already killed? He shook his head in disgust.

"You judge us?" asked Darien from just behind his left shoulder. John didn't answer, mostly because he didn't want to end up with someone's sock in his mouth to make a point. "Stop."

John spun around, prepared to give the guy an earful no matter what the consequences. Instead he got clocked in the head again. This time when he lost his balance, Darien pushed him so that he fell through a hole in the ground. He got the impression Lierka tried to grab him as he fell, but something cold and hard brushed against his wrist, cutting him. He had just a moment to wonder what had happened when he struck something hard and went out like the proverbial light.

oOo

John was cold and for some reason he was damp, almost wet. And his sheets smelled like dirt and decaying leaves. He really needed to do laundry soon. He reached out to grab the covers, but all he got was a handful of wet leaves and sticks. _What the heck?_

When John opened his eyes, all he could see was darkness. After a few moments he realized he could see a star or two through the canopy, which was unusually far over his head. As he lay there looking up, it hit him what he was seeing. Darien had pushed him into a huge hole in the ground and he was looking through it like a tunnel. Well, Darien didn't know about his history with rock climbing. He was climbing out of this hole and kicking that man's ass. Then he'd decide if he wanted to drag him back out here and throw him down this stupid hole with his hands tied behind his back.

Wait a minute. His hands weren't tied. He held them out, trying to see in the tiny bit of starlight. He was becoming aware of stinging sensations in his wrists and he remembered the sharp pain when Lierka grabbed for him. Except he hadn't been trying to catch him, he'd been cutting the bindings free. At least his guilt trip had worked on one of his captors. Now to climb out of here.

Ten seconds later, he knew he wasn't climbing anywhere. He sat hunched over clutching his leg just above his right ankle, groaning and mentally begging the pain to let up. He'd twisted ankles before and this was much, much worse. He was pretty sure something in his ankle or foot or possibly both was broken. No way was he doing any climbing. He'd be lucky if he could find a way to walk. The process of sitting up had introduced a whole assortment of aches and pains.

His head throbbed from the lump on the right side of his forehead and the whole right side of his face felt raw, like a bad case of road rash. His right shoulder was bruised and his forearm was shredded from just below his pinkie finger to his elbow. At some point on the way down he'd apparently slammed his right side into the wall of the tunnel, which was most definitely not a smooth surface.

Suddenly a loud screaming howl split the air and echoed through the cave system John had been dumped in. He froze, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, but it was impossible. The good news was that it didn't seem particularly close. The bad news was he couldn't exactly run away, making it way too close for someone trapped in an unfamiliar cave system with a broken foot or ankle.

John scooted around on the ground looking for a stick big enough to use as a cane or crutch, but all he could find was twigs a few inches long. Since he wasn't a dwarf, that was not helpful. Using the wall of the cave, he pulled himself up. When he tried to hobble a step, barely resting his injured foot on the ground, he had to bite his lip to suppress the howl of pain that threatened to escape. This was not turning out to be such a good day. And he had thought shopping in malls on Earth had been dangerous.

oOo

Elizabeth made a conscious effort to stop wringing her hands together and place them at her sides as Lorne's team came through the gate. She was trying her best to look no more concerned than she would for any member of the expedition who'd obviously been kidnapped and it was costing her. An afternoon of ignoring the panic in her heart had her near tears she couldn't afford to shed.

She and John had finally given up the _just friends _act, at least with each other. In public, they were the two leaders of Atlantis who worked well together and had become close friends. In private, they had begun to explore a more intimate relationship, one they had both apparently wanted for quite some time. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him now, when something she'd longed for was now within her grasp.

Major Lorne was coming up the steps to the control room and he didn't look happy. Glancing over the balcony, she noticed the glum expressions on everyone's face and her heart sank. "I'm guessing no luck on M3P 116?"

Lorne stopped in front of her and shook his head. "Not really. They _claim _it wasn't anyone from their world at the market and that they've never seen the colonel."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as Teyla came up to stand beside Lorne. "Claim? You don't believe them?"

Lorne sighed. "There was something kind of . . . hinky going on." At Elizabeth's raised eyebrows he continued. "When we first got there, we talked to a woman in the street who said we'd need to talk to Darien, who's apparently the untitled leader of the village. She went off to get him but came back with some other guy . . . Milken or Metkin or something . . ."

"Mierkin," supplied Teyla.

"Yeah, Mierkin. Anyway, both him and the woman who fetched him looked kind of spooked. They kept helping each other tell the story about why it wasn't them on the planet and they were nervous, very nervous. And they kept feeding us some line about why this Darien guy couldn't talk to us. And while I was talking to them, Teyla heard something even more damning."

Teyla gave a brief nod as she took up the story. "I noticed two young women standing under some trees nearby. I moved to get closer to them, thinking perhaps I could ask them a few questions. One of them was showing the other a bracelet. She said that Lierkin had brought it back from the Chabock Market earlier today. The stones in the bracelet were the same as the ones in the jewelry stand across from the booth where John was taken."

Elizabeth closed her eyes a few seconds, seeing the bracelet and earring they had brought back from the planet. Part of the gift he had purchased for her. She felt a little sick. Opening her eyes, she looked at the worried faces before her. "What do you suggest?"

Lorne glanced at Teyla and then back to Elizabeth. "I left Lt. Mason back on the planet. He's going to sneak around and see if he can gather more intel."

Elizabeth frowned slightly. "Do the people on the planet know you left someone there?"

"They do not," said Teyla with a small smile. "Major Lorne had Lt. Mason wait by the gate while we went into town. We then told him what to look and listen for. I understand that Lt. Mason is very good at not being seen when he does not want to be."

Elizabeth smiled, thinking of all the stories she'd heard, mostly from John and Ronon, about the lieutenant's ability for stealth. "I've heard much the same thing. When does he check in?"

"I told him to check in in four hours, sooner if he finds out anything of value," said Lorne.

"Okay, then I guess we wait to hear from him," said Elizabeth. "Why don't you two check with Dr. Beckett and then get something to eat."

Lorne nodded. "Don't worry ma'am. We'll get Colonel Sheppard back. No way I'm getting stuck with all his paperwork. I know how far behind some of his reports are."

Elizabeth managed a small chuckle as Lorne left. She was also aware of how much John hated some of the redundant reports required by the IOA. He always managed to get them done, but at the last possible minute. The tears welled up and she had to fight not to let them spill over.

"Elizabeth, we will get John back," said Teyla, putting her hand on her friend's arm. "I give you my word we will not stop looking."

"I know," Elizabeth said, trying to maintain a neutral face and tone of voice.

Teyla gave her arm a squeeze and smiled as she leaned forward. "John loves you," she whispered.

Elizabeth felt heat flush her face, but Teyla just turned and walked away. "Please find him," she whispered to herself.

oOo

John paused, leaning heavily against the rough wall while pressing his face to the cool stone. He was exhausted. His sweat soaked shirt clung to him, chilling him when he took a break. The muscles in his left leg ached and trembled with the effort of supporting his full weight. He let his right foot sag and touch the floor, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused. Closing his eyes, he tried to rest a moment.

He'd decided the main tunnel connecting some of the caverns was actually an ancient lava tube. At least it reminded him of the one he'd explored in Hawaii. He'd come across two more of the well like openings that lead to the surface, but they had both been smaller than the one Darien had dumped him in. One thing was for sure. No one, human or monster, was likely to have climbed in and out any of the openings he'd seen due to the vertical, crumbling sides. Lierka or Darien one had said the creature came into town, which meant there had to be another way out of these tunnels. All John had to do was find it before the monster found him. At the rate he was going, that wasn't going to be easy.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened and continued the hop jump gait he'd been using the last several hours. His mouth was so dry that he'd have given his right arm for a drink of water. When he landed on his good left leg, it almost gave out and dumped him on the cave floor. He either had to find a place to rest or get out of here and soon.

A few more hops and his tunnel seemed to come to a T. It was so dark, it was hard to make out much of anything. He'd run into the wall several times during his rather pitiful escape attempt. When he got too far away from the openings to the surface above, the light gave out and he had to travel by feeling his way along. Ever so often there was some kind of bioluminescent fungi or something that grew near the ceiling, giving him just enough light to keep from tripping or smacking into rocks.

Stepping into the junction, there was just enough light for him to realize something really big was standing next to the wall. Before he could dodge, a huge hand drove into his chest, picking him up and slamming him against the opposite side of the cave. His head cracked into the unforgiving rock and he was out.

oOo

John became aware that he was lying on his side, facing the cave wall. He seemed to be in some sort of room or chamber and it was definitely a lot lighter in here. There was something piled up against the wall in front of him and it stunk to high heaven. It smelled of death and decay and John's stomach rolled. He closed his eyes against the harsh light and smell, swallowing several times.

When the dizziness and nausea seemed to calm a bit, he chanced opening his eyes again. Squinting to reduce the ice pick drilling behind his eye sockets, he listened for several minutes. The only thing he heard was his own breathing. Rolling onto his back, he looked around the room. He was alone, thank goodness. The room seemed to be some sort of old lab, with collapsing consoles and rotting equipment lining the wall. Not exactly what he'd been expecting.

Pushing up on his elbow for a better look didn't last long when the room spun and whirled around him, stirring up both the nausea and the guy with the ice pick. He was on his back in a heartbeat, his eyes clenched shut against the light and the pain. He knew he was drifting in and out but the knowledge wasn't enough to improve his lucidity.

It seemed like ages before his head began to clear enough he could think. Opening his eyes, he studied the room, surprised to still be alone. Feeling much better than he had earlier, he carefully pushed up to lean on one elbow. When he met with success, John pushed himself into a sitting position. A bout of dizziness quickly passed and he sat staring at the pile of cloth and bones in front of him. He was no anthropologist, but he recognized a human skull sitting near the top of the pile. It took a moment for his fuzzy brain to register that there were teeth marks on some of the bones, that these were the remains of people the creature had literally _eaten._

John was barely able to turn to the side before losing the battle with the nausea he'd been fighting since awakening the first time. They really were feeding him to that thing. A whole new level of fear and revulsion washed over him, giving him the energy to get to his feet. He needed a weapon.

Looking around the cave, his eyes found an open stasis chamber. In spite of his fear, he stumbled over to it, his curiosity getting the best of him. There were two chambers, one on top of the other. The stasis chamber on top was still closed and a creature of some sort lay decaying in it. There was obviously no power to it, even though some of the lights in the room were working. Apparently as power levels got low, the chambers had shut down and only one of them had opened, releasing whatever the monster was inside. Why would the Ancients create such a monster?

He leaned against the chamber as a wave of dizziness passed over him. He needed to quit channeling his inner Rodney and get the heck out of dodge. Glancing around again, he realized some of the bones were broken. One in particular was fairly large and had a sharp, splintered end. _Tibia _his mind filled in even as he tried to ignore the thought. He glanced around for something he could use as a crutch and spied a slender metal rod that was bent at the top in such a way as to make a good cane.

Grabbing his new metal cane, he had to wrestle the end out from under some debris. In the process he realized what this was. This had originally been an Ancient lab, but at some point, Wraith had altered it to use for their own. He could see Wraith technology commingling with Ancient technology everywhere, now that he knew to look.

A noise out in the tunnel caught his attention. Listening, he heard shuffling and grunting and realized it could only mean one thing. He was out of time. The jolly green Wraith monster was home for dinner. Suppressing his gag reflex, John pulled the sharp edged tibia from the bone pile, ignoring the tiny bits of dried flesh still clinging to it. As quietly as he could, he lay back down where he had been, facing the wall, the bone clutched in his hand like a dagger.

Lying still while some monster shuffled over to eat him for dinner was the probably the hardest thing John had ever done. When he felt the hot, putrid breath on his neck, he rolled over and thrust the sharpened end of the bone straight up and into one eye of the creature. John stared in horror as the thing staggered back, wailing and roaring as it clutched the exposed end of the bone.

It was horrible, like some giant mutated Wraith. The face was like a male Wraith, but with an abnormally large mouth sporting several rows of spiky teeth. The nose was unusually large as well and was flattened against the greenish white face. The head was bald and looked like some sort of ridged shell and the huge hands sported claws at least an inch long. It took the thing crashing into a console and ripping the bone from its face to get John moving.

He pushed to his feet using his newly found cane and went wide around what he now thought of as Wraithenstein. It was almost seven feet tall and howling like a banshee. He had to have driven that bone into the thing's brain, so John wasn't sure how it wasn't dead. Probably just an extension of John's typical _you're so screwed _luck. He made it to the tunnel and began hop lurching as his top speed with no idea if he was headed toward or away from the opening to the cave system. The only direction that mattered right now was one that was away from the monster.

oOo

Ronon and Rodney mounted the stairs to the control room about the time the wormhole behind them shut down. Elizabeth stood with Teyla and Major Lorne at the balcony overlooking the gate room floor and all three turned to face them.

"He's not on P7M 447," said Rodney. "The entire place has been culled."

"Culled?" Elizabeth gasped, her mind now imagining John being stored for dinner on some Wraith hive ship.

"It was culled several weeks ago," said Ronon. "No way those guys were from that planet. No one escaped."

Elizabeth nodded, feeling guilty about the relief she felt when several hundred people had lost their lives.

"You guys find anything?" Rodney asked Lorne.

"We're about to find out," said Lorne. "I left Lt. Mason there to do a little off the record observation and he should be checking in a few minutes from now."

"You think Sheppard is on that planet?" asked Ronon.

Lorne frowned. "Let's just say people were acting a little odd when they found out what we wanted."

Teyla quickly explained what she had seen and heard. Rodney was opening his mouth to comment when the gate started dialing.

"Offworld activation. It's Lt. Mason's IDC," reported Chuck.

"Drop the shield," said Elizabeth. They heard Chuck tell Lt. Mason that it was safe to come through and then the young officer was coming through the gate and jogging up the steps.

"What did you find, Lt.?" asked Lorne.

"I think we need to take some reinforcements and go back," said the sandy haired man. "That Darien guy you were supposed to talk to came back to town about dark along with some young guy named Lierken. They were arguing, something about sacrificing someone to some monster to keep it from taking people from their village. I couldn't hear everything, but something was said about taking a guy from the market. The older guy, Darien, ended up hitting Lierken and threatening him if he didn't shut up."

"Did you scan for his transmitter?" asked Rodney.

"We did. It didn't register," said Elizabeth.

"There could be a variety of reasons for that," said Rodney as he began to babble. "They might have deactivated it or removed it if they know where he came from. It seems half the galaxy knows about our transmitters and how to get rid of them. There could be interference from any number of sources or –"

"Rodney," snapped Elizabeth. "We need to focus on finding John."

The scientist straightened and widened his eyes for a few seconds. "Right, focus. If it is interference, it might be more accurate to scan the planet from a jumper."

Lorne frowned and nodded. "Ma'am, I'd like to send a cloaked jumper to scan for the colonel's transmitter. I'd like the colonel's team to accompany my team back to the village to talk to Darien and Lierken. I think we should talk to them separately, see if this Lierken guy is willing to tell us where Colonel Sheppard is."

Elizabeth felt some of the tension flow out of her shoulders. She had hope again. They had a plan. She could work with that. "You have a go, Major. Take as many jumpers and as much firepower as you think you need. And Major . . . bring him home."

Lorne smiled and nodded. "We will ma'am. We will."

As Lorne and the others left to get ready for the rescue mission, Elizabeth made her way out to the balcony. Gripping the railing, she looked out over the ocean. It was dusk on the ocean that was home to Atlantis, the reflection of the rising moon dancing across the waves. "Come home to me John," she whispered.

oOo

John opened his eyes. Everything was fuzzy for a few seconds. As his vision cleared, he realized he was looking up at some of the glowy fungus that grew in the caves. He shivered, pushing himself up to lean against the wall of the cave while everything spun lazily around, including his stomach. He tried to lick his lips, but there was no moisture there. He considered licking the damp walls, but he wasn't quite there yet. His luck, he'd ingest some of that glowing fungus and poison himself.

It took a few minutes to get the dizziness and pain in his foot under control enough to climb to his feet. He didn't remember passing out, just thinking about how tired he was. As he recovered his cane and began lurching down the tunnel, he decided there was more light than before. He really hoped that meant he was close to an exit because he honestly didn't know how much further he could go.

His injured foot was so swollen, his boot would need to be cut off. His good leg was so tired and sore from all the hopping that he probably wouldn't be able to walk for a week, even with crutches. His right arm burned and was probably infected. On the bright side, no one had tried to eat him yet and he hadn't heard a peep from Wraithenstein in hours. Hopefully that abomination was dead.

John wasn't sure how long he trudged on, refusing to acknowledge the exhaustion threatening to ground him. At some point he noticed the light increasing, the tunnel becoming bright enough to see where he was going. Suddenly he was standing in an opening as big as a doorway, squinting in the sunlight streaming through the trees. Although it seemed to be early morning, it was still much lighter than the caves he'd apparently been wandering around in all night.

He could scarcely believe it. He was out. Hope welled up and almost overcame him. All he had to do now was make it to the gate without alerting the people from town. John couldn't bear the thought of making it this far only to have Darien or one of his goons drag him back down here. Clenching his jaw, he determined that he would not let that happen.

Stumbling out into the forest, he searched until he found a thick stick that made a better crutch. He kept the metal rod as a weapon though. He ended up using both the stick and the rod to hobble along without having to put weight on his foot. John allowed himself to grin at the thought of lying back in an infirmary bed with his foot propped and iced on a pillow and some really good drugs thrumming through his veins, taking the pain with it.

John was pretty sure he knew the general direction of town. There was no path through the forest, but the understory was fairly sparse and the ground was relatively smooth if you watched out for rocks and gullies. He'd traversed far worse, just not with a broken foot. It didn't take long for him to miss the chill of the caves as sweat soaked his shirt and ran down his face, into his eyes. Thirst was now a desperate ache, contributing to his headache and nausea.

Sounds from ahead broke through his mantra of keeping himself moving forward and he realized people were headed his way. Looking around and finding no real cover, he ended up standing behind a tree and hoping it kept him hidden. Listening, he recognized Lierken's voice and anger burned hot, causing his heart to race. He gripped the iron rod. No way were they taking him back.

He was just about to hop step out from behind the tree so he could whack Lierkin with the rod when he recognized another voice. Dropping the rod, he leaned against the tree and watched as Lierken stepped almost right in front of him along with the owner of the other voice. They stopped and stared at him, their mouths open.

"Teyla?" At least that was what he tried to say. His mouth was so dry it came out more of a rough, scratchy growl. Teyla rushed forward to take him by his shoulders and grin at him, leaning her head forward. Realizing what she was doing, he touched his forehead to hers. When he pulled back he barely had time to register Ronon before the big man pulled him off his feet into a hug. A very unmanly squeak popped out as the big guy planted him back on the ground and his injured foot took part of his weight.

The next thing he knew he was laying on the forest floor looking up into the canopy with no idea how he'd gotten there. There were voices, lots of them familiar. He blinked and Teyla was patting him on the arm as they carried him in a stretcher. He blinked again and two marines were setting him down on the floor of a jumper. Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla were looking at him like they were afraid he'd disappear. He tried to ask for water but he just made scratchy croaking noises. His point must have gotten across though because Teyla lifted his head and let him sip from her canteen. She cut him off much too soon with promises of more when Carson had cleared him.

The dizziness was closing in again, probably aggravated by the motion of the jumper. John didn't really care. He was out of the caves and on his way home with his team watching his six. He let himself relax finally. Wraithenstein couldn't get him anymore.

oOo

Elizabeth tried not to squirm and pace, but it was impossible to remain still. Ever since Rodney had radioed to report they had found John and were bringing him home, she's been a nervous wreck. She had no idea what shape he was in, only that he was alive. As the jumper came through the gate and rose toward the jumper bay above, she waved to Chuck. "I'll be in the infirmary," she said.

Not waiting for his answer, she headed straight for the infirmary, not wanting to slow down the medical team. They ended up meeting in the hall, along with Lorne and John's team trailing along behind the gurney carrying the colonel.

John was a mess. His clothes were filthy and torn. The right side of his face was bruised and scraped pretty raw. The visible part of his arms was peppered with cut and scrapes with his right arm obviously bearing the worst of it. She couldn't tell what else was going on, but John Sheppard didn't pass out from cuts and bruises.

When they reached their destination, a nurse cut them off and herded them to chairs in the waiting area the medical staff had designed in the first year. She sat down and Teyla sat next to her, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze.

"John will be fine," Teyla said and her smile was so confident that Elizabeth relaxed and smiled back.

"We really did get him back, didn't we," said Elizabeth, still a little surprised.

"Yes, yes we did. And in plenty of time for Christmas."

A shudder ran through Elizabeth as she thought about her first Christmas _with _John. She felt her whole body, exhausted from the tension of the last twenty-four hours, almost melt into the chair. She refused to think about the toll this relationship could take on her if she was this stressed every time he got into trouble because as much as she loved him, he was most definitely a trouble magnet.

No, she wasn't going to worry about that now. She was going to enjoy John, because he was bound to be off his feet and therefore safe in Atlantis for a while. Christmas was just a few days away, so surely until after then. She smiled. This would be the best Christmas ever.

"Merry Christmas Elizabeth."

She looked up at the sound of Rodney's voice to find everyone looking at her and grinning. Heat crept up her neck to her face, but she raised her chin and ignored it. "Thank you, Rodney. It will be a Merry Christmas, thanks to all of you. Thank you for bringing him home."

"It was our pleasure," said Teyla. "I am afraid Atlantis would not be the same without John." She looked at Ronon and then Rodney. "Team would not be the same without John. He is . . . an amazing man."

Rodney snorted. "I feel like I should get us all a drink so we can make a toast." He motioned as if holding a glass of champagne. "A toast to John Sheppard, the wonderful and amazing man from Atlantis," he said dramatically.

They all laughed as Carson came around the corner to join them. "Shall I tell the colonel you said that?" he asked with a big grin.

Rodney scowled and lowered his arm. "Not if you want your scanner fixed the next time it goes on the fritz."

"Oh, I think Radek could probably put in order," Carson replied with a chuckle.

Elizabeth decided to get the conversation back to the topic top on her interest list. "I take it from your mood that John isn't in as bad a shape as he looked?"

"Aye, he'll be trying to talk me into releasing him in a few days, although he'll be off his feet for a bit. He's broken two metatarsal bones in his foot and it's going to take a wee bit of surgery to put them right again. I imagine all that scuffling around and trying to walk has put them in the shape they're in."

Elizabeth breathed out a long sigh of relief. That was what she had needed to hear. "What's the total damage?"

"He's also pulled a couple of small ligaments loose, but they are minor. They've just added to the swelling and discomfort. Lots of scrapes and abrasions we're cleaning up and I'll put him on some antibiotics for a while since there is no telling what he was exposed to. I think I'm most concerned about the head injury. Looks like he's taken more than one blow to the head and he's experiencing pain, dizziness, and some nausea. A bit of intracranial bleeding has me concerned so we'll be watching that very carefully."

Rodney's eyes widened. "He's bleeding in his brain?" he said in a panicked high pitched voice. "Shouldn't you be doing something?"

Carson sighed. "I'm bloody well doing plenty, Rodney. The bleed seems to have resolved on its own, but we'll be watching to make sure it doesn't get stirred up again. He'll likely have problems with headaches and dizziness for several days to several weeks though. He's dehydrated as well. Apparently there was not a source of water, at least none that he found."

"Bottom line it, doc," said Ronon. "Is Sheppard going to be okay?"

"Aye, given time he should be fine. Right now we're getting some fluids in him and keeping an eye on the head injury. If everything looks good in the morning, we'll take him to surgery to repair the bones in his foot."

"Can we see him?" Elizabeth asked, counting on the good doctor to say yes.

The look Carson gave her had her wondering if everyone in the city knew about her and John. "Aye, lass, for a few minutes. He's in and out, so he may not be lucid, but I think it'll be good for him to hear your voice."

And now she was blushing again, but hopefully no one noticed as Carson led her and John's team back to see for themselves that the pilot was in one piece.

His face was battered and bruised, a small bandage taped to the right side of his forehead. His right foot was propped up on pillows with an icepack draped across it. His right forearm and hand were also bandaged. He looked exhausted but he also looked peaceful. Elizabeth took his left hand in hers, careful of the IV line taped to the back of his hand. The warmth of his skin sent a tingle down her spine and she suddenly felt whole again.

"Leave it to flyboy here to get kidnapped while Christmas shopping and carted off to another planet to get sacrificed to some crazy monster," said Rodney.

"Wraith . . . Wraithenstein," mumbled John as his eyes fluttered open. "Is . . . is it dead?"

"Lorne has quite a few marines going through . . . wait a minute, did he say Wraithenstein?" asked Rodney, his eyes wide.

John snorted. "Understand . . . when you see him."

Rodney's mouth opened and closed several times before Ronon cut in. "Lorne sent some men into the tunnels to find the creature that attacked you. He also had a long talk with that Darien guy over what they've been doing. I think he's going to tell the whole town what's been going on."

"Pretty sure . . . they already know," John said softly, his eyes starting to close. His eyelids fluttered as he fought to stay awake. "Rodney . . . old lab in caves . . . juiced up by the Wraith."

"I'll check it out," said the scientist. "Maybe I can find some data to tell us what was going on down there and if we have the Ancients or the Wraith to thank for our . . . what did you call it . . . Wraithenstein. And you won't let _me_ name things."

"All right, you've seen him," said Carson. "Now say goodbye and let the lad get some rest. I know how you people are so _one _ of you can sit with him. Everyone else needs to clear out in the next few minutes or I'll throw you out myself."

"Yes, yes, we know the drill," said Rodney, flapping his hand the doctor's direction. "I'll take the first watch."

Elizabeth felt her spirits drop, as she'd about to volunteer. Now that she had John back, she really didn't want to take her eyes off him for a while. She tried to neutralize her expression as she looked up at the group, but Teyla's smile caught her eye.

"Rodney, I believe Elizabeth expressed an interest in sitting with John first," said the Athosian.

"What?" squawked the scientist. "When?"

Ronon smirked until Teyla raised an eyebrow at him. "Earlier. You may not have been close enough to hear her," said Teyla, taking Rodney's arm and steering him toward the door. "I believe you said something about needing a cup of coffee."

Rodney gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I do need some coffee. It's been a long day and colonel searching has left me exhausted. I could eat, too. You know my blood sugar . . . " Rodney's voice faded as they left the infirmary.

John's eyes were almost closed, but he smiled up at Ronon. "Tell Teyla . . . owe her."

Ronon grinned and tapped John's uninjured foot. "I'll let her know. Rest easy, Sheppard."

"Thanks," John murmured. "For everything."

Ronon nodded at the two leaders and quietly slipped out. Elizabeth leaned over John, studying what she could see of his eyes between the nearly closed lids. "You scared me, John Sheppard."

"Mm, sorry. Scared me too." His voice was soft and scratchy and if she hadn't been inches from his face, she doubted she would have heard him.

"Since you're back and going to be okay, you're forgiven." Gently, she touched her lips to his dry, cracked ones. She winced at the evidence of his ordeal, even as she deepened the kiss. When she pulled back, his eyes were closed and his breathing had evened out.

Smiling, she hooked the chair with her foot and pulled it up next to the bed. Sitting down, she continued to hold his hand. "I'll take that as you're happy and feel safe enough to sleep instead of that you were so bored with my kissing that you drifted off," she whispered with a grin. "Merry Christmas, John."

oOo

"Is he ready to go?" asked Rodney as he bobbed up next to John's wheelchair.

John huffed as he crossed his arms. "Yes, _he _is right here and ready to go. And I still think I could get to the mess hall fine on crutches."

Carson set the chart he'd been making notes on down and glared at his patient. "Colonel, I will remind you of the discussion we just had a few moments ago. You are to use crutches only for _short _jaunts such as to the bathroom. When you are traveling longer distances, such as to the mess hall, you are to use the wheelchair for a few more days. I'll not have you undoing my work knitting the bones in your foot back together by walking on said foot too soon."

"I said I'd use crutches," mumbled John. Beckett was such a mother hen.

"Aye, and you'd probably end up putting weight on that foot while using the crutch to spar with Ronon." When John's eyes widened, Carson slapped himself in the forehead. "What am I doin' giving you ideas like that. Just . . . just stay in the wheelchair for now. I'll come by to check on you in a bit and bring the crutches . . . for the bathroom trips only."

John saluted. "Aye aye, captain."

Carson rolled his eyes while Rodney snickered. "Cheeky," he deadpanned. "Just remember what we talked about colonel. I'll bring your meds to you when I come for your check. Otherwise they'll just end up left somewhere."

John cocked his head and managed to look offended. "You really think I'm irresponsible, don't you?"

"He's familiar with your previous history, you know," said Rodney with a smirk.

"Hey, no one yanked your chain McKay."

Carson shook his head. "I most certainly do not think you are irresponsible, colonel. But I know you do not worry about your health as much as you worry about those around you and you sometimes tend to forget to look after yourself. Go on and have fun with your team. I'll see you before bed."

John grinned and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. And Carson . . . thanks."

The doctor gave him a short mock salute and returned to his office as Rodney steered the wheelchair out of the infirmary. John's injured foot was in a boot and propped up in front of him. The pilot winced when his driver barely missed whacking his leg on the wall as they rounded a corner a little too fast.

"McKay, as much as I appreciate the help I'd like to get there without needing further surgery."

Rodney snorted. "And he says he likes things that go fast."

"It's not the speed, it's the weaving into walls that has me concerned. You drive a wheelchair like you drive a jumper and neither of those in anywhere near a straight line." John held onto the arm rests as they did the next corner on two wheels. At least they were in the middle of the hall now so he only had to worry about taking out unsuspecting pedestrians.

"Fine, I'll slow down to grandma speed, but you get to explain to Elizabeth what took so long. If I didn't know better I'd swear she missed you."

John smiled at the mention of Elizabeth's name and he found himself yearning to see her, even though he'd spent time with her only a few hours ago. He was glad Rodney couldn't see the silly grin on his face.

"It's Christmas Eve so the cooks are supposed to have a good meal tonight with some kind of special cake or something," said Rodney. John noticed when cake was mentioned their speed increased just a bit.

"Cake, huh. Sounds good. Did you ever find out what that Wraithenstein monster was or where it came from?" asked John.

"I still can't believe you call it that," Rodney said as he dodged two scientists coming out of a transporter. "Watch where you're going! Injured colonel here. Idiots. Anyway, of course I figured it out. Genius here, remember?"

"How could I forget?" John asked, tightening his grip on the arm rest.

"So it was an old Ancient lab, apparently put there to study some sort of bioluminescent fungus that grows in the caves. Anyway, at some point after the Ancients left, a Wraith scientist, possibly some relative of Michael's based on the work, modified the equipment and made the place his own. He was trying to create a new, beefed up drone that literally hunted Ancients down and destroyed them, like some sort of bloodhound."

"I'm pretty sure from what I saw that thing actually ate its victims," said John with a shudder, remembering the gnaw marks on the bones.

"He did. We, uh, found the remains in the lab. Some of the data we recovered was degraded, but I don't think he was meant to actually eat his victims, just kill them. But with the Wraith, who knows? His hand didn't have the feeding mechanism of other wraith so maybe he was meant to feed on them and that's just disgusting," Rodney said as they entered the mess hall. "How am I supposed to eat after that conversation?"

"I'm sure you'll manage," said John with a grin, although the memory of the sight and smell of the pile of bones in the lab combined with the knowledge of where it came from to make John wonder if _he _would be able to eat.

"Look, they did make cake!" Rodney rolled John toward a table across the room where Ronon, Teyla, Lorne, and Elizabeth sat. "Here you are. I'll go get food." And then he was gone.

John watched Rodney almost run to the food line and wondered if he was getting food for them both or just himself. Well, he'd find out in a few minutes. Besides, his stomach was still rolling around from thinking about being eaten. He turned back to the people at the table who were all smirking or chuckling at the scientist's dump and run technique.

"Don't worry Sheppard," said Ronon between bites. "If he doesn't bring you food, I'll go get you some."

"Oh, uh, thanks Chewy." John glanced at Elizabeth, sitting next to him. He slid his hand under the table and grasped hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. The smile she gave him almost made him abandon their whole undercover operation and kiss her right there in front of the whole expedition.

"It's good to see you out of the infirmary, colonel," she said in her best professional voice. Then she winked at him. John could have sworn that everyone else at the table was either smirking at them or having conversations with their eyes and expressions.

"Thank you, Doctor Weir," he said. He could play the professional game too. Next he turned to Lorne. "So, what happened with the Darien and Lierken?"

Lorne washed down his last bite with a drink and then wiped his face. "There was a small group of men, about six, led by Darien that did all the kidnapping. They took turns going to different markets in an attempt to keep from getting caught. People disappearing from the same place every month would attract attention."

John nodded. It made perfect sense. Darien was apparently somewhat intelligent. "How did it all start? How did they figure out that thing was eating people?"

Lorne frowned, his mouth twisting to the side. "Apparently about 18 months ago a group of teenagers decided to explore the caves. It was forbidden because the villagers thought it was dangerous, so naturally a bunch of bored teens thought it was the perfect thing to do. Anyway, they found a couple of Ancient tech devices, which they took, and apparently turned off the stasis chambers while messing around."

Rodney plopped a tray down across from John and sat down. "What'd I miss?" he asked as he shoved a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.

Ronon grunted and slammed his fork down. "Figures." He pushed his chair back, legs screeching all the way, and stalked off toward the food line.

Rodney stopped chewing to watch the big man go. "Wow, what's his problem?" When everyone looked at him, he threw his hands up. "What?"

John shook his head. "Nothing, Rodney. Nothing."

Rodney shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the table, then up at John. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I believe Ronon is getting John some food," said Teyla with only a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"That's good," Rodney said and resumed eating. Elizabeth turned her face to hide her smile.

John stared at the man a few moments, amazed at how clueless Rodney could be. After shaking his head, he looked back at Lorne. "Major, you were saying."

Lorne wiped the grin off his face and continued. "Shortly after the teens let the creature out, he came into the village at night. Killed two people and dragged one of them off in the woods. We found some things with the remains that seemed to indicate he hauled her down to that lab and . . . you know. About a month later, the same thing happened again. Came to the edge of the village and broke into a house. Killed a whole family and drug part of them off to his cave."

"It's quite interesting, actually," Rodney broke in. "Your monster was apparently taking animals in the forest for the most part. But every three to five weeks he'd get a craving for human flesh and come into the village. He was designed to hunt Ancients and we think that's what he was looking for. Darien was the one to come up with the idea of offering a sort of sacrifice each month."

"Why does that not surprise me?" said John. "There is something not right about that guy."

"A man came to their planet to trade for the eula berries that grow abundantly there," said Teyla. "He had too much wine to drink and apparently became unruly, especially with some of the young women. When they were escorting him to the gate he became angry and confused and ran away from them, falling into a large hole that connected to the cave systems."

"Yeah," John said. "I think I'm more than familiar with the hole. At least now I know how they found it."

Ronon appeared with a tray of food and a drink for John. After setting everything up in front of the pilot, he returned to seat and glared at Rodney, who looked totally confused. John marveled at the amount of food for a moment and then decided it didn't matter. Ronon would clear out anything left over. Actually, looking at the grin on the big man's face, that was probably the point of the mountain of grub in front of him.

"So that was their first sacrifice?" John asked as he picked at his food. He wished he could get the image of gnaw marks on human bones out of his head.

"Yes, although it was not a purposeful one," said Teyla. "They did not know how to get the man out. While they were arguing over the possibilities, they heard him screaming and ran away. In a few weeks, another villager was attacked. It was then Darien thought to lure in people from other worlds to give the beast."

John nibbled on a local vegetable that looked like an orange cauliflower and had very little taste. He tried not to look at the meat and wonder where it came from. After a couple of minutes, John noticed how quiet it was and looked up in time to see everyone suddenly look down.

John put his fork down and looked at Lorne. "When did they figure out he preferred people with the Ancient gene?"

"About six months ago," said Lorne. "One of the guys they lured to the planet picked up one of their Ancient devices and made it light up. Apparently they saw less evidence of the creature that next month. Up until then, he'd come up to the edge of the village between offerings and kind of threaten them, but not that month. After that they started using the devices to find gene holders. If they couldn't lure their victim, they'd kidnap him, as you are all too aware."

"That I am. So what's happening in the village now that they don't have to round up a victim to murder every month?" asked John.

Lorne frowned and stabbed his fork into the leftovers on his plate. His jaw clenched until he looked up at his CO. "They had a meeting and Darien told the town what they'd been doing. Everyone was properly horrified. Darien is no longer the unofficial town leader. His social status has been demoted a level or two."

"Oh, and they are all properly appreciative of the fact that the monster is dead," Rodney added.

John fiddled with his fork a moment before abandoning it and looking up at his friends. "The people in town knew. They may not have ever been officially told or voted to do the sacrifices, but they knew. When Darien was hauling me through town with my hands tied, I saw people taking peeks from their windows. They knew and they did nothing to stop it."

Every face at the table was troubled with the revelation that a whole village of people were willing to watch their friend get sacrificed and eaten by a monster to save themselves. It went against everything they believed. It was made worse by the certainty that any one of them would have risked their lives to help these people if they had just asked.

"What are we doing?" asked John.

Elizabeth put her hand on his arm. "As much as I hate it, there's nothing we can do. We can't just bust in and force our justice system on every planet we come across. They were afraid for their lives and the lives of their families. People don't always make the right choice under those circumstances."

"Yeah, tell me about it," John murmured. They sat in silence for a while, until John tired of the depressing atmosphere the conversation had produced. He was home and he wasn't going to get eaten. Tomorrow was Christmas and he wasn't in the infirmary for once. "I just want to say thank you for getting me out of there."

Everyone at the table looked up with various expressions of surprise. Rodney seemed to gulp a few times before speaking up. "But we didn't . . . I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner, you know, before you had to fight to the death with . . . with . . . "

"Wraithenstein," John supplied proudly.

Rodney signed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, alright, Wraithenstein. Anyway, by the time we tracked you down, you'd already pretty much rescued yourself."

John smiled and made eye contact with everyone at the table. "I knew you guys were looking for me, that eventually you would come for me. That gave me hope. That being said, I also knew I had moved to a different planet and it would take a while for you to find me. I knew I had to do what I could to get out before that thing had me for dinner. But knowing you guys would be there . . . that makes a difference."

"It does," said Lorne with a nod. "He's right. Just knowing people are looking for you, that they won't abandon you, it makes a huge difference."

"Besides, if you guys hadn't shown up when you did and that Darien guy had found me passed out in the woods, he probably would have just dumped me back in that cave." John frowned and looked over at Ronon. "That thing was dead when you guys found him, wasn't he?"

Ronon broke into a huge smile. "Yep. You put that bone shard right through the eye into its brain. It managed to pull it out somehow and stagger around the room some, but it never made it out of the lab. It was great." Ronon beamed like a proud parent and John felt a little flush of pleasure at the big man's approval.

"Yes, lovely topic to discuss at the dinner table," complained Rodney with a grimace. "Next you'll want to discuss bathroom habits and hygiene practices."

"Hmmm, I was thinking more along the lines of the three quickest ways to kill your enemy," said John with a straight face.

Elizabeth punched him in the arm, hard. "Ow. Injured man here."

"Not injured enough, apparently," Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"You're just upset you have to wait until tomorrow to open your present," John said. "By the way, thank you Teyla and Ronon for recovering her present from the kidnap zone. I apparently dropped it when I was stunned."

Teyla gave a slight nod. "You are most welcome. I know Elizabeth will love the gift."

"Easy call since she's already seen it," mumbled Rodney as he tried to steal John's cake. John slapped his hand.

"Back off Rodney. I want the cake." He'd eaten a few bites of vegetables, but he'd given up on eating the meat, especially since it was still attached to the bone. Pushing his tray away, he pulled the cake up in front of him.

Rodney frowned. "So, is that all you're going to eat?"

John looked at Rodney and then over to Ronon, who also seemed to be drooling over his leftovers. With a grin, he pushed the tray to Ronon and turned to face a frowning Rodney. "He was the one who brought me food. It seems only fair that he gets first pick of what's left over."

Rodney's mouth opened and closed a couple of times and then he huffed out, "Fine."

John glanced up at the group walking into the mess hall. "Major Lorne, I think your team is here."

Lorne swiveled around and waved to the group standing just inside the doorway. "If you'll excuse me, sir, we have a little poker game scheduled to satisfy a bet on who has the best poker face," he said as he stood.

"I'm going with Corp. Lindley," said John. "I saw that man keep a straight face when one of his fingers was cut nearly off the first year we were here. I didn't even know he was hurt until the medical team descended on him."

"So, he takes after you and Ronon," commented Rodney.

John winced and rubbed at his hand. "Ronon maybe, but not me. I'd have been crying like a baby."

"Right," Rodney deadpanned. As they watched Lorne join his team, the scientist brightened. "So where are we getting together in the morning to exchange gifts?"

"Excited Rodney?" asked Elizabeth with a chuckle.

"I believe we should meet in John's room since he is the least mobile," said Teyla.

"I'm mobile," whined John, a little offended at having his current disability brought up. He hated being the weak link, even if it was just for Christmas Day festivities.

Teyla arched an eyebrow and put on her _I'm trying to be patient with your stupidity _look. "I did not say you were not mobile, merely that you were the least mobile of all of us at this time. I was attempting to find the least troublesome way for all of us to get together. Perhaps you have a better solution."

John sighed. Now he just felt stupid. Probably because he was. He ignored the heat of embarrassment coloring his face and put on his most innocent grin. "No, no, it's fine. We can meet in my quarters. That probably would be easier on everyone."

"Agreed," said Elizabeth, a little too quickly for John's liking. "I'll stop by the mess and bring sweet rolls for everyone."

Rodney snapped his fingers. "I'll come a few minutes early and set us up a coffee pot. I can swipe some cups and stuff from the lab."

"And I will bring some fruit and juice," said Teyla.

Rodney rubbed his hands together. "This is going to be a great Christmas. I can't wait to see what everyone got for Christmas. Well, except Elizabeth of course, since we've all seen her gift," Rodney said with a chuckle.

Elizabeth looked at John and he thought about how lucky he was. He had a team that was more like a family, people he knew he could trust with his life. He had a budding relationship that he had wanted since early in the first year of the expedition, but had been too afraid to pursue. At least until the wrong person figured it out. He lived in the greatest city of two galaxies and it loved him like a son.

He tuned back into the conversation that had been going on around him when his name was mentioned.

"So, Sheppard, what do you want for Christmas?" asked Ronon.

John looked at Elizabeth, grasping her hand under the table again before looking at each of his team members. "I've already got it."

THE END

Prompt: John unwittingly gets roped in as a human sacrifice. The Elizabeth/John pairing was the only one suggested I was comfortable writing. I always kind of saw them getting together. The story sort of a took a turn or two I wasn't expecting so I hope it's close enough to the prompt to be okay.


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